The purpose of the “Learning Center for the Deaf” (LCD), which is a non-profit, non-political, and non-sectarian association, located in Baabda-Brasilia, Lebanon, is to provide quality services to respond to the urgent needs of deaf persons in Lebanon, with emphasis on education, in its broad meaning, as a tool for change and advancement of the deaf community.

The team of the LCD, fervently believes in the empowerment of the Deaf in general, including the family of the deaf person, and reaches out to the world of the hearing, with information that helps spread awareness and promotes deaf persons’ right to accessibility and healthy inclusion in society, with an eye seeking justice, equal opportunities, and especially respect for human dignity.

Therefore, the LCD has initiated challenging services and programs which were not available in the country before, in order to complement the existing programs and services, whether directly or indirectly, and consequently, provide better opportunities for the Deaf and their family members.

The LCD today presents many important right-based related services to the deaf community, in means of seeking change in legislation and policies in partnership with other OPDs for a better representation of the rights of the Deaf among other persons with disabilities, directly or indirectly providing missing services. One of these services is the development and spread of the Lebanese Sign Language, and the attempt to find the means to provide professional Sign Language interpretation in Lebanon, among others.

These services and initiatives were added to the two major and unique programs which were consecutively initiated by the LCD in 2001 and 2003, being the family-based Early Intervention Program and the High School Program.

The High School aims at providing the deaf young people the choice of passing the official Baccalaureate (High School) exams and heading to University, like their hearing peers.

The Early Intervention Program, which is a rich comprehensive program prior to school-age (0-3yrs), is a stepping stone that empowers the family and provides them the tools to surround the child with a rich environment, supportive to his/her general healthy development and well-being, with a great emphasis on communication and language. This stepping stone preeminently determines the quality of the future life of many deaf children.

For more information, please see www.lcd-lebanon.org